


Nine-Year Secret

by SamCatsOLD



Series: Tales of Redemption [2]
Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: (Referenced) - Freeform, But mostly fluff, Fluff, I mean self-harm is referenced, I'm a nice person for once, Memories, Monster Tom, Mysteries, Paul and Patryk are overprotective parents, Secrets, Tom is a smart cookie, Tord is a cat, Tord is smol, Tord likes guns, and Edd being done with the world, and Tom being secretly evil, but it's mostly cute, just fluff, no angst or anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 19:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10315265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCatsOLD/pseuds/SamCatsOLD
Summary: Tom is a smart cookie





	

Ever since the incident on his birthday, Tord wasn’t allowed to go anywhere alone. It had been Paul and Patryk’s idea; they’d freaked out when they first heard about what had happened. They’d decreed that Tord would never be left alone, which meant that he was constantly being rotated around the four apartments. He’d be staying with Edd, only for Edd to decide to go shopping. And since Tord couldn’t risk showing his face too much in public – stupid wanted posters! – he had to go to Matt or Tom’s place. Paul and Patryk were rarely home; they had taken over the Red Army while Tord was ‘recovering’, so he didn’t understand why they had to follow the rule.

According to Edd, it was because Tord had done a very stupid and selfish thing and they couldn’t him doing it again. Tord couldn’t quite understand why his actions had been ‘selfish’, but he went along with it regardless. It was hard to argue with Edd.

Despite that, Edd was definitely the easiest to stay with. He didn’t leave too often and was easily the most compassionate. Matt was probably second; he was caring enough, but often spent more time admiring himself than watching Tord. Although that may have been because at least one of him was forever watching. Matt’s room was definitely the freakiest. Tom…

Well, Tom was an enigma. Sometimes when Tord had to stay with him, he would be nearly as considerate as Edd. Other times he would almost completely ignore the Norwegian, only stepping in when he tried to leave. Once, Tord had woke to find Tom missing; he’d eventually tried the bedroom, only to quickly backpedal when he heard growling through the door. Surprisingly, Tom still hadn’t asked him to apologise for that.

Luckily, today seemed to be one of the nicer days. Tom was leaning against one arm of the sofa; Tord had his back to the other, knees pulled up to his chest, idly tugging at the bandages wrapped around his left arm, the only reminder of the day – Tom had hidden his razors somewhere. They were rewatching the Insane Zombie Pirates series, but neither of them were really paying attention.

“Hey, commie?”

Tord looked up suddenly, twitching his robotic arm away from the bandages guiltily. Tom wasn’t looking at him however, leading Tord to doubt whether he had actually spoken.

“Yes?”

Tom looked thoughtful for a moment, although it was kind of hard to tell due to the lack of eyes. Tord would have to ask about that one day.

“Paul and Patryk.”

“What about them?”

“We know that they’re basically your parents.”

Tord froze. Was Tom actually going to ask? _Oh God please don’t let that be what he’s going to ask._

“But I walked past their apartment the other day and heard them talking about someone they call ‘Red Leader’.”

_This is so much worse!_

“And, well, you’re the only person I know who wears red. Any idea what they’re on about?”

“N-nope!” Tord stuttered, inwardly cursing at how conspicuous he sounded.

Tom was looking at him now, eyebrow raised. He quite clearly didn’t believe Tord. “Oh really? Remember, I’m the one who actually knew about your ‘secret lab’ _before_ it blew up.”

Tord once again found himself wishing for death. Not like last time. Maybe just something sudden? A heart attack would work!

“How _did_ you find out about that, anyway?” _Smooth._

Tom looked a little annoyed by the change of topic, but complied. “It was around the same time we got an attic. Edd said ‘if we moved only Matt’s stuff, it wouldn’t be fair’. So he eventually convinced me to move the ever-so-lovingly edited picture of you I hung in the hall. Behind it, I found a button. Which turned out to be another picture. Behind that, I found a lever, and… well, Edd and Matt love buttons; I like levers.”

Tord almost sighed in relief. Until Tom drew his phone from his hoodie pocket and held it out to him.

“But behind the lever, I saw this painted onto the wall.”

Tord took the phone in shaking hands, looking down at the picture. A line of red paint, resembling the letter ‘R’, as well as the hair spikes he was usually proud of. Now he kind of wished he could cut them off.

“Same symbol I saw painted onto one of your guns, as well as on the back of the coats Paul and Patryk wear when they sneak out.”

 _I knew the coats would get us killed!_ Tord tried to stay calm, although it was hard when a secret kept for nine years was seconds away from being revealed.

“Crazy theory, I know, but I think you may be the Red Leader.”

And there it was. Tord wished he could sink into the ground and stay there. He wished he had never built a giant robot or taken over an army. Heck, right then and there he was starting to regret communism!

“So, am I right, or are you, the communist who tried to kill us, innocent?”

Of course! Tord was just starting to like the idea of being friends with Tom, instead of sort-of-friends-who-sometimes-tried-to-kill-each-other, and Tom decides to betray him! Not that he didn’t deserve it, but still.

“O-okay, fine…” Tord sighed, wrapping his arms about his legs and burying his face in his knees. “You’re right.”

“So what exactly does being Red Leader mean?”

And down the rabbit hole we go. “It means you lead the Red Army.”

The background noise of screams and zombies died suddenly. Tord glanced up as Tom dropped the remote back onto the table. The eyeless man looked thoughtful once again. “So, how long have you had an army?”

“About… nine years.”

Of all the things to do, Tom smiled. “I knew that story about ‘making it in the big city’ was a cover up. I never knew what for, but I knew it was for something.”

“Well now you know.” Tord groaned, tightening his grip on his knees.

“So Paul and Patryk are a couple of your soldiers?”

“Yeah.”

“How did that even happen?” Tom snorted. “You’re this tiny ball of rage and death, and now you have a couple of ‘overprotective gay parents’.”

“I don’t even know.” Tord thought back and forced himself to hold back the giggles when he found the earliest memory. “I mean, they’re both only a year older than me. I guess… ever since we left school, they’ve been really protective of me for some reason. They probably saw me like a younger brother. Then the communism started and they started being all lovey-dovey and gross and I decided to join a secret military.”

“That’s just something you can do?” Tom asked incredulously.

“Apparently! Anyway, I joined, moved in with Edd, and began to rising through the ranks. You and Matt moved in, I became the leader… I renamed, rebranded and repurposed the entire army.”

“To be communists?”

“I’m going to ignore that. It was around this time I became obsessed with guns.”

“You weren’t always like that?”

“Shut up. I started bringing them home and using them for pretty much everything. Edd objected, which was fine, but when Matt started getting suspicious I realised you probably already knew something was going on. So I made up some story about living my dreams and moved back to Norway, where they had a base.” Tord paused for a moment, trying to recollect everything. His memory had been bad ever since he blew up. “I set up another base here in England so I could watch you all.”

“Stalker.”

“While I was away, Paul and Patryk became even more protective and eventually declared themselves my guardians. Again, stupid, because I am a legal adult and they are only a year older than me.”

“Are you sure? I mean, they’re pretty tall…”

“I am not short! I am of average height.” Tord huffed, looking up and glaring at Tom. “You just happen to be a giant.”

“What a coincidence that all three of your friends are titans.” Tom smirked.

Tord suddenly wished he had his guns again.

“Shut up, Jehovah.” Tord hissed before shaking his head. Where was he? Oh, right. “Anyway, I decided I should go back to the house and get my giant robot, among… other things. So I contacted Edd, told him I was coming to visit, and showed up at the house. You know the rest.”

Tom nodded absentmindedly. “Okay. A couple things… first, how did you get in? I had a key, Edd had a key and Matt had a key. There were no spare keys to the house.”

Tord flushed, turning the colour of his hoodie. “Well, I… I mean…”

“Tord…”

“I… may have come in through the cat flap…” He muttered quietly, only just loud enough for Tom to hear.

The eyeless man burst out laughing; Tord turned even redder and tried to disappear into his hoodie.

“Wh-what?” Tom laughed. “Why? Why didn’t you just ask for Edd’s key?”

“You weren’t home and I wanted my robot!”

“But you waited a full day to get it anyway?”

“I never had a chance! Edd and Matt were pressing buttons and turning the garden gnome into a rocket, the fan cut the table in half and I think we traumatised the toilet.”

This did nothing to help, other than making Tom laugh harder.

“Oh, I regret storming out of there! I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“Well…”

“Well what?”

“I may or may not have installed a security system into Edd’s apartment…”

Tord glanced up to see Tom staring at him, laughter forgotten. Very slowly, a grin began to spread across his face.

“Edd isn’t home.” The eyeless man said ominously.

Tord had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

He also couldn't help but notice that Tom had only mentioned one of the 'couple things'.

* * *

Edd had expected to return home to Tom and Tord being silent in Tom’s apartment, just silently hating each other. But _nope_. Apparently booby trapping one house just wasn’t enough!

He’d opened the door, surprised to find it unlocked, and been immediately greeted by a robotic voice screaming ‘INTRUDER’. There’d been a net and then suddenly he was upside down. After a moment of wriggling aimlessly, he looked up – down? – to see… something he’d never thought he would see.

Tom was on his back on the floor, shaking with laughter. Tord was peeking over the top of the sofa, shivering with barely-supressed giggles. Edd wasn’t sure _when_ Tord had installed a net in the ceiling, or why.

But hey, at least they were getting along.

**Author's Note:**

> What's this? I can be a nice person? No, no I cannot. It was minor, but Edd got stuck in a net. At least one person will be hurt or annoyed in all of my fics. Spoiler alert.
> 
> But hooray for fluff!


End file.
